Gujiya
by Leena Kohli (@leenakohli)Gujiya is a traditional Indian dessert commonly made on occasions like Holi and Diwali. This sweet treat consists of a crispy, deep-fried pastry shell that encloses a filling of khoya, desiccated coconut, and finely chopped nuts.
Ingredients
For Homemade Khoya/Mawa
- 1tspGhee
- 1LMilk (or store-bought 100gm Khoya/Mawa)
For Sugar Syrup
- 1cupSugar
- 1cupWater
- 3Green Cardamom (split open)
For Dough
- 2 1/2cupAll-Purpose Flour (Maida)
- 1pinchSalt
- 1/2cupGhee
- 1 1/4cupWater (approx.)
For Stuffing
- 1/2cupSemolina (Suji) roasted
- 1/2cupDesiccated Coconut
- 4tbspAlmonds/Cashews/Pistachios)(finely chopped)
- 1/2tspGreen Cardamom Powder (optional)
- 3/4cupSugar (powdered)
Other Ingredients
- Oil for frying
Method
For Homemade Khoya/Mawa:
Add ghee to a heavy-bottomed pan and add milk. Bring to a boil and simmer the flame. Stir occasionally at intervals and keep scraping the milk solids from the sides.
Keep cooking until no milk bubbles are in the milk solids, and turn off the heat. (approx.1.5 hours)
Scrape the solids from the sides of the pan and keep them in a bowl along with khoya/mawa and let it cool at room temperature.
For Sugar Syrup:
Heat sugar and water on low heat in a pan until the sugar dissolves completely (4-5 min approx).
Add cardamoms, mix and keep it aside.
For Dough
Add all-purpose flour (maida) and a pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
Add melted ghee to the flour and mix it until it becomes crumbly and takes the shape of a fist.
Gradually add water and knead to make a soft and smooth dough. Cover it with a damp cloth and set it aside for 15-20 minutes.
For Stuffing
Roast semolina (suji) in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat for 2-3 minutes and keep it aside.
Add khoya or mawa (crumbled) in the same pan and cook it on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes until soft.
Add roasted semolina (suji), desiccated coconut, chopped nuts, green cardamom powder and mix. Turn off the flame.
Add powdered sugar to the pan. Mix well and set it aside to cool.
For Making Gujiya
Take the dough and divide it into small balls of equal size. Roll each ball with a rolling pin to slightly thick small circles/puri (3-4 inch diameter).
Place a spoonful of the stuffing in the center of each rolled-out circle of dough, fold it in half to form a semi-circle, and seal the edges by applying water with your finger and pinching them firmly. You can also use a fork to create a decorative pattern around the edges.
For Frying
Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, gently drop the gujiyas in the oil.
Fry the gujiyas until they turn golden brown and crispy from all sides.
Take out the fried gujiyas and immediately dip them in the sugar syrup for1-2 minutes.
Take the gujiyas from the sugar syrup and place them on a plate to cool down.
Sugar-coated gujiyas are ready to serve. Enjoy them with your loved ones.
Tips & Tricks
I used lactose-free milk to make the khoya, but you can also use store-bought khoya/mawa. Remember that 1 litre of milk makes approximately 115g of khoya/mawa. (Using store-bought Khoya/mawa can save time also).
Make sure to seal the edges of the gujiyas properly to prevent the filling from spilling out during frying.
I used brown sugar in the recipe. You can use any sugar and adjust the amount of sugar according to your preference, and feel free to add your favourite nuts to the filling mixture.
You can also avoid coating the gujiyas in sugar syrup.
You can also make gujiya by using a gujiya mold or calzone maker.
Instead of using all-purpose flour, gujiya can be prepared using wheat flour as well.
Leena Kohli
(@leenakohli)
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